Machine for reproducing sound



2 sheeLs sheet 1.

(No Model.)

A. G. FERGUSON. MACHINE FOR RBPRODUUING SOUND.

No. 595,053. Patented Dec. 7, 1897.

Witwawea (No Model.) Y, 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. G. FERGUSON. MACHINE FOR REPRODUOIN'G SOUND. 155,595,053. Patented Dec. 7, 1897'.

| HI Him lH'i,

wdwaooae UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

ARTHUR C. FERGUSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR REPROQUCING SOUND.

srncrncerlon formingpart of Letters Patent No. 595,053, dated December 7, 1897.

' Appllcntion on i rni'niaav s m Ho. 632,646. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR C. FERGUSON, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for-Reproducing Sound, oi which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in means for recording and reproducing sound-waves; and it con.-'

ularly to ihzttclass of devices or apparatus in which the original impulses or vibrations produced by sound-waves are first recorded photogrnphically and subsequently reproduced mechanically; and the invention is intended as an improvement upon the invention covered by my former Letters Patent No. 5393M, granted May 14, 1895, although in some respects the present invention involves totally distinct and independent features of improvement. In the practice of the invention covered by the Letters Patent aforesaid I employ a gradually-progressive sensitized film carried by a rotating cylinder, and combined with the cylinder is an inclosing case and a vibrating shutter operating before an opening in the case by which the ray or'beznn of lightentering the opening necdle engages in the lines on the cylinder,

the said needle being caused to vibrate in contact with a reproducing-diaphragm.

In the present instance I dispense with the cylinder for various reasons, and in its place I substitute n progressively-moving rotating disk, and I also dispense with the movable or vlbratihg shutter, as well as the inclosing case provided with an opening before which the shutter is caused to operate. The prin cipal object of the present invention is to overcome all resistance and impediment to an accurate record and reproduction of the sound-waves, as well as to simplify the constrnction and to adapt the invention to different uses and purposes for which the cyl: inder could not wellbe, en' ployed. These and other objects I'nttain by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichi Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation representing the construction and arrangement of devices for recording the soundtvsvesmnd Fig. .3 is n, similarviewindicnting the constructionand arrangement employed for reproducing the. sound-waves. Fig. 53 is a top or plan view, and Fig. 4 is a viewin detail of the reproducer'aud its diaphragm; My present invention is capable of agrect many different embodiments, and while I have herein represented a. certain preferred embodiment it will be understood that I am not limited thereto, but that Tom at liberty to make such immaterial changes in the general construction and arrangement of parts as may he demanded by the exigencies of any particular case". I In the practice of my present invention the sound-waves are recorded upon the surface of the film or platein continuous lines which vary in thickness or width, and this record is pro duced' entirely by the variation in the degree of divergence of the, light-rays between the contiguous surfaces of the plates and the recording-diaphragm. For instance, I arrange the recording-diaphragm in proper relation to the sensitized plate upon the disk, and I project a concentrated ray or beam of light upon the plate through an opening in the dinphrngm, and then by talking into the diaphrcgm the same will be caused to vibrate, v

- narrower will be the line plate, while mains from the plate'the wider will be the line.

My invention will be more fully understood 5 on reference to the accompanying drawings,

in which- A repr sents a r'otatin g disk which is mounted in a suitable support having a base a, and said disk while capable of being rotated in- 10 of a friction-wheel b, bearing against its-under surface near the edge and carried by a, screw-shaft c, which is operated by'hand or in any other suitable manner. In order to impart to the disk a gradual orprogressive lateral movementindependent of itsrotation,

the support for the 'disk comprises invpart'a longitudinally-slotted bracket 0', carrying a traveler d, in which works the screw-shaft c,

' :o and it is obvious that as'the said shaft is revolved the disk will not only be. rotated, but

. will be caused to move laterally to a gradual or progressive manner. Other means could be employed for imparting these movements to the disk with equal effect and still be within my invention..

Extending upward from the base to a suit-. able height is a standard e, which carries at rightangles thereto a guide arm or bracket 0 f, provided with a dovetailed groove g, in which is held and is longitudinal yadjustable .a s ide h, to the end of which is attached or secured in any suitable manner the recorderor transmitter B, having the diaphragm t,

which is of very sensitive'opaque' material, so' as to besusceptible to vibration from very light sounds or tones projected against the same. The said recorder or transmitter is constructed of an ordinary circular hollow 0 case or box j, from which extends a hollow arm or projection k having in its upper part a small or-ilne opening I, which is in direct alinem'eut or coincidence with a similaropening m, formed in the recording-diaphragm.

5 The said arm I: islbentor curved to one side,

as shown, and attached thereto in any'suitable manner stnis aspeaking-tube 0', ofany suitable materiaL-eitherflexible or rigid, and

} rovidod with a trumpet or mouthpiece p. ihe post or standard 0 is located far enough to one side of the rotating disk A to permit the full radial progressive movement of the latter, and by means of the adjustable slide in the diaphragm B maybe carried toany deand point in the radius of the disk begin operations, 'as' is obvious. v p The sensitised plate is represented at (handthe same is also circular in form, and while it could be held in place upon the disk in dif- 6o ferent ways I prefer the use of small springclamps q, arranged at opposite points on the disk at the edges, and a spring locking-arm 'r, secured to the under side of the disk and workin in a notch a, so as to hear u n the edge 0 the him. The plate or film itself is of a hard substance-ms, for instance, like the diiferent ways is preferably rotated by means the manner about to be described.. biwhich.

well-known Kraemer plates-and it is clear from the means described and shown that the a said plate will be held in position on the disk against movementwith respect to the latter. v ,The interior of the hollow arm projecting upward from the ,box or case of the recorderor transmitter B is blackened by the application of paint, lampblack, or other similar sub: stance, and the entire apparatusis inclosed by an outer sheath or cover'ingD, comprising, preferably, ametallic hood,. to the ends ofwhich flexible curtains-i are attached, so as to admit of the roper movement of the disk as wellas read; and convenient access. This covering D is blackened onits inner surface and the curtains are of some dark material to prevent the access of light upon theiilm or sensitive plate, so that a dark chamber is practically thus constituted. 'The arm 70' projects through said sheath or covering D, and it should be stated that in order tohave no leakage in the speaking-tube' the opening I in said arm is closed bya glass plate t,'which prevents the escape of sound from .thctube, while still permitting the passage of the light to the opening in the diaphragm.

I employ, preferably, an artificial light-- say an electric light *u-and I also use two ob-' jectglasses' or lenses *1: w, by means of which 9 the rays of light are concentrated or brought to a focus immediately at the opening closed bythe glass t, and it is obvious that as the concentrated ray or beam emerges through the opening, m in the diaphragm there will :00

be a. greater'cr a lesser divergence of thelightbeam proportionate to the. distance between the diaphragm and the surface of the sensi-' tire plate. By speaking or otherwise direct: ing a sound into the speaking-tube and onto the diaphragm thelatter will be caused-to vibrate, and'according to the amplitude of the vibrationsthe lines photographed on the plate will be thin or heavy W'hen'the sensitized plate or film has been utilized to the desired extent, the light is cut ed and the plate is removed to a photographic dark chamber, where -it is developed in the, usual way, and'then the lines on the plate are transferred by any suitable method onto the surface of shard-rubber or celluloid disk or plate,'and ,when it is desired toreproduce the sound-waves this rubber or celluloid disk is placed in the-machine and operated uponin v 1 2D Many-difie'rentforms of reproducers could be employed; but preferably I resort to the use-of any ordinary or well-known receiver J, (shown in Fig. 2,) and which consists of a case to, having a tube 3 leading therefrom, and-a diaphragm 2, arranged in place in any suitablemanner. Cementedorotherwise secured to the under side of said diaphragm z is a thin metallic lug or projection 1, tothe side of which is movably secured at 2 the upper end :30 of a small curved arm or lever 3, which is 1 pivoted to an arm 4, extending between the sides of the case across the diaphragm, but free or out of contact with the latter. The lower end of said reproducing arm or lever 3 is sharpened at 5, so as to be received into the sunken lines on the hard-rubberdisk, and the arm is acted upon by a spring 6, so as to be drawn to one side -and cause the point thereof to bear against one Wall of the said lines in such manner that an accurate reproduction of the sound-waves will be had. The said springis fastened atone end to the lever 3 and at the other end to the arm 4, and the lever Bis pivoted to the side of said arm, as indicated at 7, and the operation of said spring 5 and lever will be readily understood. To obtain a reproduction from one of the rubber disks after proper transference of the lines thereto, the said disk is placed upon the rotating disk A and the proper adjustments 3c of the reproducing-diaphragm made. The

sharp end ,of the reproducing arm or lever 3 is then properly inserted at the beginning of .the lines. 'The disk A is then rotated, and the motions of said and or lever 3 will impart :5 corresponding vibrations in the diaphragm .z, and in thiswa'y there will be an exact, reproduction of the sound-waves. It is only necessary that the end of the lever follow one side .or wall of the lines and the spring 6 tends 3b to always maintain the same in true relation; In effecting the reproduction it is of course apparent that there is no necessity for using the covering 1) or curtains P, which are removed temporarily, or else the entire machine 5 may be removed from beneath the same.

It is of course understood that any means could be employed for transferring the lines produced on the sensitive plate to-the surface of the disk of rubber or celluloid, and in these 40 and other respects I am not limited in any manner whatever while carrying my invention into effect. The details of'construction of the several parts could also be varied, and, thereforemithout confining myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown and described I claim-- 1. In means for recording and reproducinga recording-diaphragm in proximity to said the openings, substantially as described.

3. In means for recording and reproducing sound-waves, the combination of a graduallyprogressive rotating disk, a sensitized plate or disk held thereon, a recording-diaphragm in proximity to said film or plate, and having a central opening, means for directing a ray or beam of light onto the plate through the opening,and means for directing sound-waves onto the diaphragm, substantially as described.

4. In means for recording and reproducing sound-waves, the combination of a graduallyprogressive rotating sensitized film or plate,

a recording-diaphragm in proximity thereto having a centralopening, means for directing a ray or beam of light onto the plate through the opening, and means for directing sound-waves onto the diaphragm, substantially as described.

,5. In means for recording and reproducing 8 5 sonn d-waves, the combination of a graduallyprogressive rotating sensitized film or plate, a recording-diaphragm in proximity to said film or plate and having a central opening, a speaking-tube leading from the diaphragm and having a coinciding opening closed by a glass plate, and means for directing a ray or beam of light onto the plate through said openings, substantially as described.

;In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 name to this specification in the presence .of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR c. FERGUSON.

Witnesses:

E. EVERETT ELLIS, HENRY J. Gnoss. 

